Interventional technology developer Endologix said it has been hit with a patent infringement lawsuit related to its AFX endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) system and IntuiTrak Powerlink system.
In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Delaware, Lifeport Sciences alleged that the two systems infringe upon five of Lifeport's U.S. patents, which are scheduled to expire on various dates between 2013 and 2015, Endologix said. Lifeport is affiliated with patent holding company Acacia Research, according to the company.
In a statement, John McDermott, Endologix's chairman, president, and CEO, said the company believes it has strong defenses and it intends to aggressively defend its position. The company believes the potential dispute will not affect its commercial operations, he added.
In other Endologix news, the company has named Shelley Thunen as chief financial officer (CFO), effective immediately. Thunen comes to Endologix after serving as associate general manager of cataract laser developer Alcon LenSx.
She succeeds Robert Krist, who decided to retire. Krist will remain available to the company to ensure a smooth transition, Endologix said.
